Leigh High School Newspaper

Michigan State coverup

After the sexual abuse case involving former longtime gymnastics coach of Michigan State University Larry Nassar, there has been some other information revealed involving the football and basketball teams.

ESPN’s “Outside the Lines” looked into these cases and found how MSU was misguided in the approach to sexual assault cases.

“Whatever protocol or policy was in place, whatever frontline staff might normally be involved in response of investigation, it all got kind of swept away and it was handled more by administration [and] athletic department officials.… It was all happening behind closed doors.… None of it was transparent or included people who would normally be involved in certain decisions,” Lauren Allswede, MSU’s former sexual assault counselor, told ESPN.

In the seven years that she had worked there the biggest problem was complaints involving athletes. These were routinely investigated and handled by the athletic department and sometimes the coaches.

While this information has been coming out MSU President Lou Anna Simon resigned, and Athletic Director Mark Hollis retired.

In June 2017 there were two sexual assault cases that Coach Mark Dantonio addressed to the media. The four players that were involved in the case were kicked off the team and dismissed from MSU.

Travis Walton was released by the NBA G League’s Agua Caliente Clippers where he was an assistant coach. In early 2010, he was an undergraduate student assistant coach, and he abused a MSU junior named Ashley Thompson, and was charged with a misdemeanor for assault and battery. Later the case was dismissed, and he instead pleaded guilty to a civil infraction.

In August of the same year, two top basketball recruits Adreian Payne and Keith Appling sexually assaulted Carolyn Schaner, a MSU student, and no charges were filed on this case.

After the OTL story was published by ESPN, it drew some local media coverage and there was some punishment to the players. Payne’s two way contract with the Orlando Magic, and was waived. Appling was already in jail for a weapons charge.

“As a die-hard Spartan fan, as an alumnus, as a supporter, I wish who were affected, touched by it, broken by it, shaken, whatever it did to you, I wish well in their recovery. Because it touched everybody in a different way … Whether you’re a supporter and it kills your pride or whether you’re a victim and you’re going through the things that you’re going through,” said Warriors forward Draymond Green, former MSU basketball player on Jan. 27.

There is a lot to investigate in these cases. After these firings, it has been getting interesting with the responses from people including a protest against the new president hired by MSU Bill Schuette, and a Go Fund Me set up for the victims of sexual assault at the school.